1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective devices for use with infants and small children in shopping carts or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses a number of seat cushion devices relating to padded child seats or safety seats for use in various seating situations to which a child is exposed. The most pertinent art would appear to be the patent to Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,462 which sets forth a pad cushion for a shopping cart seat which folds so that it can fit the front, bottom and back of the seat and may be padded. A provision for secure mounting and for multiple forms of adjustment of the cushion in use are provided.
The patent to Dimas et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,430 sets forth a chair-like infant seat for a shopping cart in which the seat is provided with straps for holding the seat in the shopping cart and for securing the baby to the seat.
The patent to Salzman U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,489 sets forth a collapsible seat which may be mounted in a shopping cart and upon which a baby may be placed; a seat belt is provided for retaining the baby relatively securely.
The patent to Salzman U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,695 sets forth a similar shopping cart seat to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,489.
None of these seat cushion devices provide for an adjustable form of securing front and back portions of the cushion pad to the shopping cart seat back and the shopping cart handle, nor for providing that the device is adjustable for width and length to suit varying sizes of shopping carts and their baby seats.
The present invention is designed to provide a safer and cleaner environment within which a child may be retained in a shopping cart and provides a seat belt retention means for the child itself and accessory tethering straps for the provision of a toy or teething ring for use by the child so that the child may entertain itself while in the store with the parent. Naturally, the padding of the device provides for a more comfortable seating posture for the child and protects it from potential sharp edges on the cart. In addition the cushion device protects the infant or child from being seated upon a hot or cold cart surface depending upon the ambient temperature in the store when used.